Mold Testing – Do They Grow in Your House?

One way to tell if your house is suffering from a mold problem is through the process of mold testing. Mold testing allows you to identify the different classification of molds present in your house, as well as help you find hidden mold and measure your indoor air quality.

Signs of Mold Existence in Your Home

- Mold smell

The smell of mold is usually a strong, damp odor.

- Visible mold

Seeing molds in some particular areas in your home is an obvious starting sign of mold growth.

- Water problems

Remember that molds grow faster in areas that are highly exposed to water and moisture. If there are some particular areas in your house that have these conditions, like water leakage in your bathroom, molds will surely be started growing there.

If your house has been flooded before, then there's also a big possibility that molds will grow in some areas of your house where flood water remains in a long time, like in your basement or under the floors.

- Condensation

Like in the previous sign of mold existence in your house, condensation could also be one of the positive signs.
Condensation only means that moisture is present, and moisture is the number one cause of mold growth.
Condensation most commonly occurs in glass windows, cement walls and metal pipes.

- Allergies

Your body could react in the presence of molds, and it could be a sign. Allergic reactions include sneezing, sore eyes and a runny nose. You should be aware of this, because it can lead to illness or even a serious health problem.

In case you see these signs, call our mold testing specialists!

How to Find Mold in Your House - 3 Methods

There are three types of mold testing to conduct if your house has mold problems. They are namely as air, surface and bulk testing.

1) Air Testing

This type of mold testing will give you the measurement of the concentration of mold spores present in the air inside your house. Samples coming from the air are then examined using microscope.

This process can easily help you know if your house is suffering from mold problem, though it would be impossible to know the exact place of mold growth.

However, this process is not really accurate, because the result may change from time to time.

2) Surface Testing

This type of mold testing is done by taking some samples coming from the household surfaces. This process aims to find the amount of mold growth and spores in your house.

Swabbing and tape lifting are the common methods used to conduct this test. The samples taken are then examined in the laboratory.

However, like air testing, the results of this test can change from time to time and can have varieties and need to be done by an expert. It is because the mold growth and spores doesn't evenly spread across surface areas and you need proper experience to do the testing.

Surface testing can't also identify the exact concentration of mold spores present in the air inside your house.

3) Bulk Testing

This type of mold testing helps you identify whether you have a mold problem in your house, or not. This method also aims to give you a hint of how much concentration of mold particles is present in your home.

The method is conducted by collecting materials from your house that are positive for mold growth. The samples taken will be soon examined in the laboratory using microscope.